Senators Cruz, Ossoff Introduce Bill to Achieve Justice for Civil Rights Era Victims
Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at ensuring justice for the families of cold case victims of the Civil Rights era. The new legislative push, the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act of 2022, would extend for three years the term of the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board, which is tasked with investigations of cold case murders.
Upon introducing the bill, Senator Cruz stated:
“I am pleased to work with Sen. Ossoff and Rep. Rush on this important bill to extend the tenure of the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board to investigate unsolved murders and other crimes that involved the targeting of African Americans between 1940 and 1979. During the Civil Rights movement, there were far too many unsolved violent race-based crimes committed against African Americans. It’s my hope that by giving the Review Board more time to examine the case files related to these unsolved crimes, we can shed sunlight on these Civil Rights cold cases and finally bring justice to the victims and their families.”
Senator Ossoff added:
“The victims of lynchings and unsolved civil rights crimes deserve justice. So do their families. That’s why I’ll fight to pass my civil rights cold case legislation as soon as possible.”
U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush, will be also be introducing the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Congressman Rush stated:
“I am pleased that President Biden nominated members to the Review Board and that the Senate has begun the confirmation process, but it is apparent that the Board will need more than one year to carry out the necessary and important work it was intended to have a minimum of four years to complete. This legislation to effectively restore the full term intended for the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board is both commonsense and necessary. I thank my colleague Senator Ossoff for leading this effort and look forward to introducing companion legislation in the House in the coming days.”
A full copy of the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act of 2022 can be found HERE.
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